Wilkie Collins
The power that I have dreamed of all my life is mine at last!' How far is a mother prepared to go to secure her daughter's future? Madame Fontaine, widow of an eminent chemist, has both the determination and the cunning to bring young Minna's marriage plans to fruition, with dangerous consequences for anyone who dares to stand in her way. But has she met her match in Jack Straw, one-time inmate of Bedlam lunatic asylum? It will take a visit to
...The Moonstone is a 19th-century novel by the master of sensation fiction, Wilkie Collins. It is considered, with The Woman in White, to be his best work, and is also commonly seen as the first English detective novel. Many of the standard ground rules for detective fiction can be found in this work, as well as examples of Collins' forward-thinking approach to the treatment of Indians and servants.
The Woman in White is credited with being the first of the sensation novels, and one of the finest examples of the genre. A young woman's husband defrauds her of her fortune, her identity and eventually her sanity. She is saved by her sister and a loyal man who loves her, and her two rescuers attempt to expose her husband. They meet a woman dressed all in white whose fate seems curiously intertwined with that of the young woman. In the tradition
...Rosamund Treverton has it all—an affluent lifestyle, a loving mother who dotes on her, and a seemingly bright future. But a deathbed confession from her mother makes it clear that Rosamund's past hides a dark secret. This suspenseful family mystery will keep readers entranced until the very last page.
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During his lifetime, British fiction writer Wilkie Collins came to rival Charles Dickens in popularity and critical acclaim. Like Dickens, Collins often gravitated toward characters who overcame significant obstacles to learn important life lessons. The novella The Guilty River continues in this vein, recounting an against-all-odds love affair that blossoms between a couple that each hail from a different social caste.
In addition to his reputation as one of the important early innovators in the genre of detective fiction, Wilkie Collins is recognized as being one of the first writers to feature female sleuths in his stories. In The Law and the Lady, Collins' heroine succeeds in cracking a tough case that has left professional investigators stumped.
8) Armadale
If you can't get enough of classic British mystery novels, dive into this spine-tingling tale of mistaken identity penned by Wilkie Collins, the author of The Woman in White and The Moonstone. The tale, told partly through letters and documents, recounts the intertwined lives and fates of two distant cousins who both happen to bear the name 'Allan Armadale.'
Regarded as one of the finest storytellers of the Victorian era, Wilkie Collins was able to inject realism and insightful commentary into his tales without detracting at all from their page-turning readability. In the tightly plotted novel The New Magdalen, Collins takes on several weighty social issues that give readers a fascinating glimpse into life in nineteenth-century Britain.
10) Basil
This classic novel from British author Wilkie Collins is a domestic drama packed with enough twists and turns to satisfy even the most jaded reader. After falling head-over-heels in love with a mysterious young woman, Basil decides he must have her at all costs, despite the fact that the decision may bring ruin to his high-society family. After courting the girl and convincing her father to agree to a marriage, things begin to veer off-track. Is
...11) A Rogue's Life
Charming and intelligent but somewhat lacking in the purpose and dedication departments, protagonist Frank Softly just can't seem to find a profession that suits him, much to the chagrin of his family. Still, his journey to find himself is full of entertaining adventures and misadventures. Modern-day readers will find a lot to love in Wilkie Collins' A Rogue's Life.
This carefully crafted ebook: "Complete Works of Wilkie Collins: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Essays and Memoirs (Illustrated)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.
Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. Collins's works were classified at the time as "sensation novels," a genre seen nowadays as the precursor to detective and suspense fiction.
...The theme of this Megapack is classic mystery and crime fiction from the Victorian era. We have taken the liberty of extending the qualifying publication dates to the end of World War I, since that event marked more of a turning point in world literature than the advent of the Edwardian Age. Certainly the spirit of Victorian crime fiction continued beyond Queen Victoria. This volume contains 25 stories and 2 bonus novels, offering hours of reading
...Master storyteller Wilkie Collins is known for his tightly plotted novels, which often have plots drawn from historical events. This engrossing romance, set against the backdrop of ancient Rome as it was poised on the brink of collapse, is Collins' first novel and a fitting introduction to his body of work.
Best known for his popular forays into detective fiction, Wilkie Collins' The Haunted Hotel blends elements of the classic whodunit with creepy overtones of Gothic horror. The tale delves into the mysterious disappearance of a newlywed aristocrat whose blushing bride may be harboring a dark secret.
Are our morals imbued in us through teaching and example, or do we come into this world with our personality and values written in our genes? The Legacy of Cain is novelist Wilkie Collins' engrossing take on the age-old nature-or-nurture question. When a woman sentenced to death begs a man of the cloth to care for her soon-to-be-orphaned child, the situation presents itself as a profound conundrum: is the offspring inevitably doomed to repeat
...Many popular nineteenth-century writers published travelogues and essay collections recounting their journeys at home and abroad, but few pulled off this feat with the polish and panache that beloved novelist Wilkie Collins brings to the task. Rambles Beyond Railways recounts a walking tour of Cornwall that Collins and a friend took together, and the vivid writing and charming observations are served up in the author's inimitably warm and
...Looking for a short but thoroughly enjoyable read? Check out My Lady's Money by Wilkie Collins, who was a collaborator with Charles Dickens and one of the most popular storytellers of the late nineteenth century. With elements of mystery, adventure, romance, and a heroic canine companion, this engaging story is a great way to while away an afternoon.